The Shadow Dancer
by In Full Wonder
Summary: This is the story after the movie. There were lots of unanswered questions, lots of possibilities and lots more trouble to get in to.
1. Chapter 1

**Shadows in the Sun**

 **Chapter 1**

"What am I doing?" yelled Jeremy at the top of his lungs. As he refilled those lungs, EVERYTHING started to enter his brain as a kaleidoscope of emotions and memories. His eyes hurt from the bright sun, his lungs hurt from the coal smoke and his butt reminded him that this horse was not gentle to novice riders. There was so much more though with the warm sun on his skin, the smell of the horse and the dusty smell from the field all mingled in as well.

As he rode on things started to clear up. He was on his horse and they were moving at a full run. He could tell that they were going towards town but not directly. The wind was in his hair and his heart was lighter than it had ever been. He was close to flying.

He looked around and found Isabella riding her horse beside and a little ahead of him. This was okay with Jeremy because she might have expected him to talk, and right now he was not sure he was ready or even capable of doing that. They rode for what seemed like forever, but they slowed down once they were on a ridge looking down on this strange little Italian town that had so thoroughly gotten under his skin.

They plodded along silently taking in the beauty of the scenery and the enormity of the situation. Finally, on a bluff, they stopped and just took in all of the Tuscan hills. "I am not sure what just happened, but when you can talk again, find me" and with that, she pushed her horse down a steep embankment that he could never follow and off down a hidden trail.

Jeremy walked into the familiar hotel lobby only to find that it was noticeable different. Sure, this morning when he left it was different than when he first walked in the first time, but it was different again. This was not a foreign country with its different sounds and smells, but a place of warmth and familiarity. The big difference, of course, this time was instead of a grumpy suspicious innkeeper who made him feel like a Londoner out of England, it was now Gustavo who had a small grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye that said "I knew you would be back, so I didn't bother cleaning your room". This alone was an overwhelming amount of change in just a few hours.

Unlike last time when he dragged his suitcases up the stairs while Gustavo watched with contempt and indifference, this time Jeremy bounded up the stairs and into his room, free. First of all, he was free of things like possessions and a tight suit, but he was free of something else. This was an indescribable free and one that he had never experienced before.

As he sat on the bed, his head swimming in thoughts, he knew some things that he had not known when he left the room. They were new, they were strong and they were exciting. He knew that his life had changed forever, he knew that he belonged to something and he knew that he belonged to someone. He flopped on the bed out of pure exhaustion from the hugeness of it all.

He woke up to an amazing set of lips kissing his face. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, he saw that not only was the room darker but his whole field of view was surrounded by long chestnut brown hair. The next explosion in his brain was the smell. There was a perfect mix of warm sweet breath, some sort of exotic shampoo and a touch of horse. He closed his eyes and let his poor brain take in the love that was being poured onto his lips.

"Sorry I had to run off like that", Isabella whispered between kisses.

Jeremy was suddenly fully awake. He rolled Isabella over onto her back and looked down into her eyes. He then kissed her like he had never kissed anyone in his life. His whole being was in it. It lasted; Jeremy didn't know. What he did know was that she was kissing him back with an exact matching passion, and during that kiss, an understanding was communicated between them.

Finally, Jeremy pulled up for air and looked at her again. Those eyes were both hard to look at and too wonderful to turn away from. "I would love to say here longer with you, but I came by to tell you that Dad is expecting us up at the house for supper." Jeremy just kept staring at her. He really could not take his eyes off of her face. She gave him a little push on the arm and said: "did you hear me?"

"What's the rush?"

"Well, I hate to be late or Father Moretti digs around and gets all the good parts of the stew that Dad made," she said with a half grin.

Just as he was fixing his resolve to roll off of the bed, he heard an all too familiar rhythmic pounding and moaning coming from the next room. Isabelle's incredible eyes flashed open and with a sly little grin and a shrug of her shoulders, she said, "I guess we have some time."


	2. Chapter 2

**Shadows in the Sun**

 **Chapter 2**

Jeremy and Isabella walked up the street to her house, arm in arm and totally happy. Isabelle was hugging his arm and leaning into him. As they approached, they heard the sounds of a party coming from the house. "Sounds like a good time has started in there", Jeremy said. "sounds like family".

"That is what this house is, its family; it's the Italian way", she said in her subtle yet perfect accent, "you'll get used to it."

"It is not something that I need to get used to, it is something that I have longed for. My folks died a while ago and my Aunt that I went to live with, passed recently too. I live in a quiet flat in London and I crave this so much. If I had a family, this is what I would dream of."

Isabella blushed a little, then she kissed him on the cheek and ran ahead, while Jeremy slowed down to take it all in. As he got close to the house, he saw his suitcase and briefcase sitting beside a birdcage on the porch. That was a sense of relief because at least he did not have to go buy new clothes tomorrow. His heart leapt when he remembered that the typewriter that Weldon gave him, should be in there too. His heart did sink a little when he remembered that his laptop was also in there and that lead to a whole new set of problems. London later - Italians now!

The supper was over when Jeremy went over to one of the many old ladies and introduced himself. "Buona sera, mi chiamo Jeremy" She had the most beautiful silk scarf and he motioned to it asking if he could borrow it. "Posso prendere in prestito?" She nodded with a smile "sì" and handed him the striking garment.

Jeremy walked over to Isabella who was chatting with one of her sisters. "Please excuse me, but may I borrow your sister for just a moment?" he asked the sister.

"Of course", she said and turned her attention to her baby.

Jeremy lead Isabelle across the floor acutely aware that all eyes were staring at him and the scarf that he had in his hand. Once they got into the kitchen, he stopped her and walked behind her. He then slowly and gently put the scarf across her eyes and tied it in the back. He could feel her tense up, but she continued to trust him. He then walked the two of them out to the edge of the terrace where he stood beside her and let his elbow touch hers, so that she would know that he was there.

"The sky was alight with fire and colour. The clouds hung in the distance just waiting for word as to whether to group together and make an angry storm, or to spread apart and wash over the evening. The sun fought to stay up, but the evening was winning. "

He then reached behind her and took the scarf off. "So, how did I do?"

She looked back and forth between the sky and him. "I could feel the emotion of the sky, but I missed what it looked like" she said with a warm smile. "Keep working on it," she added, kissed him on the cheek and went back inside to rejoin the party. He was glad she knew what he was doing, she trusted him and she was willing to help.

As he turned to follow her in, he saw Weldon leaned up against the corner post looking at him. The stub of the cigarette glowing above his chin. He did not say anything or even acknowledge that Jeremy saw him. Jeremy finally turned and walked to the kitchen door to follow Isabella in, but as he was about to cross the threshold, he stopped, turned and looked directly at Weldon. "Since the moment I saw her", he said, and went inside.

The next morning, Jeremy was standing beside Weldon, holding on to some all too familiar bars. He turned and could see that Weldon had his characteristic smirk on his face again. Of all the new things in his life, this jail cell was his least favorite.

He desperately wanted to piece together last night's events, so that he could figure out what got them in here this time. As Jeremy dug around in the fog of his brain Weldon asked, "trying to remember if this was your fault for when Isabella gets here?"

"It's never my fault" Jeremy snapped back.

Weldon returned to his forward looking smirk and just stood there for a while. "Does the name Hachette Livre mean anything to you?"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh", Jeremy moaned. It was starting to come back. He remembered that just as the party was winding down a young book editor had walked in and introduced himself as being from Hachette Livre. He was there to get the great Weldon Parish to write a book. No one remembers the parts in between, but it was Gustavo who threw the wheel rim into the "lake" and it was Jeremy who pushed the kid into follow.

Jeremy offered quietly, "I guess that the one good thing that may have come from the evening is that at least the kid is now baptised."


	3. Chapter 3

**Shadows in the Sun**

 **Chapter 3**

Isabella found them back in jail where Weldon was chuckling softly to himself and Jeremy was holding his head. She walked directly up to Jeremy and he saw that her eyes were full of emotion. He had to admit that he was having trouble following all that her eyes were saying, but he could see a burning anger, a powerful hurt, a touch of sadness and some severe disappointment. She did not say anything but just stared at him for a few seconds while Jeremy desperately wished she would stop.

She then moved over to her father and said, "And you. I thought things were going to be better now that you are writing again, but I see that you are just training an accomplice."

She then moved back to Jeremy. "I dearly love Papa so…" She trailed off. Jeremy could see that she was so mad, that she was having trouble forming the words. "Him I can excuse some things from, but you; I expected more." She stopped, turned and stormed out.

"Well that wasn't too bad. One time she came in here, yelled at me and left me here until the next morning. I hope that doesn't happen this time", Weldon said almost thoughtfully.

Isabella suddenly stormed back in and walked directly to Jeremy. "Aren't you going back to London?"

"Isabella I am so sorry", he yelled, but it was too late because he was talking to her back as she again stormed out.

"No I don't think that it went that well at all.", Jeremy whined to Weldon.

"Don't worry, she has her mother's temper, but she'll calm down. I hope" he added.

A few days passed and Jeremy found himself laying on his bed in the hotel room. He was working very hard on a problem that was not going to go away on its own and infact it was getting more complicated by the day. London. What is he supposed to do about London?

It was Monday night and he was expected to make a truly embarrassing appearance at the bar for Karaoke. Isabella had not talked to him since her jail visit and he was worried. He had seen her once, but it was fleeting and she clearly acted like he was not there. He missed her but it was more than that.

As he entered the dim bar, he could make out that Weldon and his friends were already warmed up and ready to get going on a night of heavy drinking and terrible singing. McBain cut him off as he walked up the the table and said is his light Gaelic accent, "she was too good for the likes of you anyway."

Jeremy thought about small towns with their lack of privacy, when the waitress walked behind him and grabbed his bum fully in her hand, making him jump. "You might want to say out of jail tonight, " she teasingly whispered in his ear. "They might start charging you rent there too."

The wine was amazing, the singing was worse than he remembered the last time but the company was what he wanted and what he needed. He was welcome in the group, but not the centre of attention. They sang, they drank and they bonded. This was a good night.

As Jeremy was making his way out to the street, he spotted a familiar yellow jeep parked across the road. He and Weldon walked over to it, where they found Isabella was sitting in the drivers seat. "I thought that I could cut you to idiots off before you did something stupid tonight." She said with contempt.

They climbed in, Weldon in the passenger seat and Jeremey behind Isabella. "Listen, Isabella, I am really sorry," but Weldon cut him off by banging his hand on Jeremy's leg.

"Too soon" Weldon mouthed to him.

They drove in silence with the wind rushing past them and a most wonderful smell surrounding Jeremy. It was a smell that he remembered from the other evening. He longed for that walk from his hotel up to the house. She was happy; they were happy.

The next morning, Jeremy flew out of bed and across the floor to his desk. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed his mobile and dialed his boss. "Andrew Benton, please" he said to the receptionist. How long was he gone for, because he did not recognize her voice at all.

"Benton" snapped a loud voice.

"Hello Andrew," Jeremy said in a voice that was much more timid that he had wanted of himself. "Jeremy here"

"You had better be in my office in five minutes with a signed contract for Weldon Parish" Andrew yelled into the phone while his face got redder and redder.

"Weldon signed" Jeremy said simply. "I will be in London the day after tomorrow to see you"

With a much calmer, almost fatherly tone, Andrew said, "That's my boy", and hung up the phone.


End file.
